Menu Boards

Hi everybody. I would like to get some ideas on what some of you use for exterior menu boards for your trailers.
I was even thinking of a dry erase board but that would probably not work out once it starts to rain.
 
I noticed these are quite expensive. I was hoping some of you have a cheap way of getting people to see your products.
I would be taking it down at the end of each event.
 
Thanks
Dan

BALLOONSHREDDER


Hi everybody. I would like to get some ideas on what some of you use for exterior menu boards for your trailers.
I was even thinking of a dry erase board but that would probably not work out once it starts to rain.
 
I noticed these are quite expensive. I was hoping some of you have a cheap way of getting people to see your products.
I would be taking it down at the end of each event.
 
Thanks
Dan

I use a menu board the is about 2x4' and has the Coke trademark on it.  It has the slots on it and you stick on the letters and numbers you want.  I like it because it is easy to change prices if I get to a show and find out everyone else is higher.  I may raise my standard prices if traffic will bear but I never lower them  I'll be damned if I'm gonna work for nothing.  Tried getting a free one from my Coke distributor but he wouldn't come through so ended up having to pay for it.  The sign and set of letters was around $75.00

If you would like my next door friend isa rep for Coke,he owes me a favor. I could check for you.

One way to have a semi-permanent  but changeable menu board is to use a blackboard and the dry erase liquid chalk pens. They hold up in the weather, but wipe clean with some window cleaner.
Here's a link to one company: http://www.neoplexonline.com/neomarker/

I've used these and they work well. You can even create your own blackboard by buying blackboard paint from the local craft store or your Home Depot.Then you can csutom make your size as needed.

I thought one of the best front-side presentations I've seen in a while is this:

http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/A-few-pics-of-Downtown-Dogs-Providence-RI-m512022.aspx

Another poster said GET PICS OF THE PRODUCT ON THE MENU and this guy has it.

We actually use a dry-erase board but it's not exactly classy. The board isn't all that easy to clean and it looks kind of muddy. I really should print out nicer menus on my printer and insert them into those laminate sleeves but we've got a cultural difference here. It's changing along with our state demographic, but something about Arizona still wants to see a biker-type dude and a smile from ear to ear from a hot-dog guy and the hand-scrawled white-board menu says "authentic" and "real person" whereas to to many other folks it just says "no class".

So me, I'm soaking up examples here on the boards. I think we're learning how to reinforce the professionalism we know our industry relies upon, this stuff makes a bigger difference now than ever since we have whole new marketing methods with the internet.

If you really want to see it all come together, how modern day marketing can really help us, consult my post called "I have seen the face of God". That is what presentation looks like in the modern day.

If anyone wants to argue that point, tell us how many lifestyle and fashion magazines have covered you.

(Ooooh! The glove goes down!)

I like the idea of the track style coke or pepsi boards. I think I need to have an account with Coke or Pepsi to get those.
Does anyone know of a site I can buy them direct without having to go through a Rep? I tried Ebay and some other sites with no luck.

Bigslicks, that would be great if you can look into that for me.

Restaurant Equippers has them but they are just plain ones. They don't say Pepsi or Coke or anything they are plain black.
Their web address is www.equippers.com

Dry erase boards are okay. The thing is certain colors are tough to clean after they are fixed by the sun. The cure is to clean the board every night before the colors set. It is a pain in the ass but will keep the board from turning "muddy.

Use Wet Erase boards.  It doesn't bake on, it will fade from the sun after a few weeks but you can redo it.

I give everyone that drives up a menu. They are encouraged to keep them so they can call in their order. I have tons of customers that pull up and get a menu from above their sun visor and order from it.

At special events I make a blown up version of my menu and post them all over. And if it’s an event I have to pay a percentage to the event I post something like this at the bottom of every menu I post.
 
We donate 15% of every dollar you spend with us to the 2010 Route 66 Festival.
                                                            Or
We proudly donate 20% of every dollar you spend with us to the 2010 BBQ and Blues Event here in Springfield.
 
You get the idea.

Excellent post DR of BBQ!!!   What a great tip.   I do blown menus laminated then velcro them to the cart.   It looks clean and professional.

So you do half page menus and hand them out to customers?

Full Page Both Sides Logo Address on Front, then the fold Menu on page two,  three and four.

We use a wet erase board that is about 2'X3' and velcro it to the trailer next to the window. It was about $25 at Office Depot, looks good and is easy enough to change. We have not had any problems with rain messing it up.

an easy way to clean a dry erase board is with alchohol